Still in crisis

The Palestinian Fatah movement will hold a general congress in March, or so one man says, reports Khaled Amayreh from Ramallah

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/881/re6.htm

Fatah, the largest Palestinian political movement and the mainstream faction of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), is planning to hold its sixth general congress in March. The last congress was held 18 years ago outside Palestine, before the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Then, late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat dominated Fatah with his charismatic character and near absolute powers.

Fatah, which is often viewed as a "supermarket of ideas", is already beset by internal disagreements, contradictions and competing camps, which many observers contend will eventually lead to the postponement or even cancellation of the long-awaited congress. The congress is viewed as a key occasion since it will elect the local, regional and national leadership of the Fatah movement, including members of the Revolutionary Council, the more powerful Central Council, and Fatah's representatives in the PLO Executive Committee -- ostensibly the highest Palestinian decision- making body.

The person in charge of preparations for the Fatah congress is Ahmed Qurei, former Palestinian prime minister and speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Currently, Qurei is head of Palestinian negotiations team and is devoting much time to ensuring that the congress be convened smoothly and on time, if only to forestall further disillusionment among Fatah's rank and file.

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